What is a sustained destination?
A sustained destination is an education, apprenticeship or employment destination that lasts for the minimum period required by DfE methodology. It distinguishes continued participation from a destination that was only started briefly.
Why use a sustained measure?
Suppose one student starts college and stays throughout autumn and spring, and another starts but leaves after two weeks. A simple “started college” count would record both identically. A sustained measure distinguishes them.
How does education count?
For standard destination measures, education broadly has to be recorded throughout the first two terms of the destination year – approximately October to March – at one or more qualifying providers.
What about apprenticeships?
A sustained apprenticeship requires continuous apprenticeship activity for the required six-month period in the destination year.
What about employment?
Employment has its own sustained criteria in the methodology. A short period of employment does not automatically count as a sustained employment destination.
Why is destination data delayed?
Because DfE has to wait long enough to observe sustained activity, then match and quality-assure administrative records. The lag is part of measuring what actually happened rather than what was planned.
What about Level 4+ progression?
The separate progression measure gives Level 3 leavers a two-year destination window, so that gap years and delayed progression can be captured. It still requires sustained Level 4+ activity.
The Explorer keeps snapshot participation, survey-based NEET and sustained destinations as separate measures, and says so on every chart.